A Workshop Co-Sponsored by the California Preservation Program, Infopeople, OCLC Western, and Califa

Congrats! You've digitized some materials from your collection are serving them online. But what steps have you taken to ensure that the digital files can be migrated successfully to the next generation of hardware and software? Will your digital records be retrievable and readable by your next system?

This workshop is designed to introduce records managers, archivists, and librarians to the issues of ensuring future access to digital assets, and that future could be as soon as 5-10 years from now, when current systems will be obsolete and your digital assets at risk of irretrievable loss.

The challenge to all managers of digital information is one of due diligence: backing up is not enough. Preserving digital assets requires articulating long-term needs, creating documentation, and developing a "business" plan to manage digital assets into the future. More than technical specs for hardware and software, preserving digital assets is about helping your organization prepare for an ongoing management challenge.

Find out what you can do now to help your organization preserve its digital assets!

Workshop Description: This all-day hands-on workshop will provide discussion and exercises focused on assessing access needs and understanding the hazards and risks of not acting. Through individual and group exercises you will review preservation software requirements and options for storing digital files. This course will introduce you to planning activities that you can begin now and use going forward to address the issues of long-term, assured access to digital collections. Using exercises, we will consider the risks and solutions to operational problems and review a preservation plan. The instructor will provide sample plans, checklists and a webliography, as well as practical, useful tips that can be applied immediately.